


it's the right way to do it

by antoineroussel



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, American Sign Language, Blow Jobs, Deaf Character, Family Issues, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff, Jamie is Deaf, M/M, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, look jordie is Trying he's just a jerk sometimes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-10
Updated: 2017-01-10
Packaged: 2018-09-16 15:39:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9278324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/antoineroussel/pseuds/antoineroussel
Summary: Tyler doesn't really know Jordie's brother that well.





	

**Author's Note:**

> um ok so the world needed more fic with deaf characters and also this is my first rpf fic
> 
> so... enjoy
> 
> asl is in italics
> 
> also some fun notes at the end

Tyler doesn’t really know Jordie’s brother that well. They’ve played video games together like, twice, but nothing was said, and Jamie scurried back to his room as soon as Jordie got back from the store. It’s a little weird, but nothing Tyler isn’t used to. He doesn’t think about it. Jamie is cute and distant and that’s fine.

It only seems fair that he also doesn’t make appearances at Jordie’s parties either. This one is fairly packed, but there are enough empty patches that Tyler doesn’t have to push through people. He’s pleasantly buzzed, and Jordie is with him in the kitchen, trying to make avocado toast or some shit. A seemingly random bro taps his shoulder.

“Hey, Benn, is that your brother? Why’s he just standing there?”

Jordie squints at the toaster and sways on his feet, not even looking up to where the guy is pointing. “Oh yeah, he does that sometimes,” Tyler does look though, and Jamie is standing at the lip of the hallway with furrowed brows, staring otherwise blankly. 

“He looks stupid,” the guy snorts. Tyler bristles in offence. Jamie isn’t stupid. Well- okay, he doesn’t know that personally, but Jordie has told him that Jamie is a Social Services major, and that he’s really good at math, so Tyler knows Jordie will tell this guy that he’s-

Jordie turns around slowly. “Yeah, well,” And he doesn’t say anything else. Then he and the other guy start giggling. What the fuck. Jamie, from across the room, visibly notices that he’s being pointed to and laughed at. He ducks his head and jogs back to his room. 

Now, Jordie is one of his best friends, but that’s exceedingly dickish. He himself seems to realize this very quickly. “Shit,” he mutters. “Watch my toast, bro.”

Tyler doesn’t know if Jordie is talking to him or the other guy, but he is sure as shit not staying to watch Jordie’s toast, so he follows after. “Okay, honestly, what the hell was that?” Tyler asks. Jordie is the one who told him, affectionately, that Jamie’s a total crybaby, and he should know better.

“I don’t know, I’m fucking drunk, I barely even knew what he said,” Jordie stops in the dark hallway to face him. “He doesn’t know what the guy said, he can’t read lips, but I mean, it’s still- I’m just trying to treat him normally, he doesn’t- wouldn’t want me to-”

Ah. Now Tyler understands. “Chill. It’s just like, maybe he didn’t hear him say it, but he  _ saw you  _ laughing at him, so… He probably isn’t getting the ‘being treated normally’ part of that,” Jordie gets these big, sad eyes, and Tyler is sort of annoyed with him. He guesses that it’s harder to see the way things can be misunderstood when you’re drunk, but still. “Let’s go talk to him, alright?”

Jordie just nods, and he looks like a toddler who was just told to apologize for pushing a girl into the mud. He lets himself into the room and waits for Tyler get in before closing the door. Jamie is on his bed, facing away from them with his shoulders slumped. Jordie makes a wounded noise and taps his shoulder. 

“Hey,” he says the words while signing them, like he has to remember the English beforehand. “Sorry, I wasn’t laughing… about you. I’m really drunk. You want toast?”

Jamie shakes his head, but his expression isn’t forlorn. “ _ I’m okay. Go to sleep soon. _ ”

“I guess,” Jordie responds, but Tyler knows that he won’t. Jamie seems to know too. “I’m going back for my toast,” He only signs the most important parts, then steps back with a wave and goes for the door. “Um, Tyler? Are you gonna-”

Tyler looks to Jamie instead. “ _ Is it okay if I stay here? _ ” He can tell they’re both surprised he knows sign, but Jordie is more so- probably because everything is more surprising to drunk people. Jamie’s eyebrows do a funny thing, then he nods. Jordie gives both of them a look, but he leaves with a gentle shrug to rejoin the party.

Jamie, surprisingly, starts the conversation. “ _ Did he only tell you I’m deaf now? _ ”

Tyler nods, sitting across from him on the bedside table. “ _ I should have realized before. My mom’s deaf, _ ” Jamie makes a sound in understanding, maybe, and pauses, then rolls his eyes with a smile.

“ _ I thought he told you, and you didn’t know what to say, _ ” he signs, then shakes his head. 

“ _ I thought you were a hermit who hated people and sunlight, _ ” Jamie laughs at that. He’s really fucking cute, and Tyler is sort of dying. “ _ But I always wanted to talk with you. Jordie says you want to go into child welfare? That’s cool. _ ”

Jamie nods emphatically, although he seems surprised by some part of what Tyler’s said. “ _ I want to help kids who can’t get help anywhere else, _ ” And oh, his movements get sharper around the edges then. Tyler understands. He wishes he was more inspired like that, but alas. He doesn’t need to be intense about something else. “ _ What about you? _ ”

“ _ No idea, I’m here on a hockey scholarship like your brother. Maybe I could work in public relations, be an agent. I’m fairly smooth, and I talk a lot, _ ” The look on Jamie’s face suggests he believes it, at least the second part. 

“ _ I can imagine, _ ” he replies, and they both grin. Jamie’s smile fades a little, and he gains a questioning expression. “ _ Do you want to be downstairs? I don’t mean to keep you. _ ”

Tyler would have to be pretty stupid to go downstairs now. Jamie clearly wants him here, nobody down there is interested in what he has to say, and honestly, he’s not particularly interested in them either. “ _ You aren’t keeping me. I like talking with you, _ ” Then he smiles coyly. “ _ And looking at you. _ ”

Jamie raises an eyebrow with some skepticism. “ _ Really? _ ”

Tyler nods and scoots onto the bed beside him, bumps their elbows together good-naturedly. “ _ Obviously. You’re really cute. _ ”

He flushes a little at that, biting his lip, and bumps Tyler back. They talk until around 2 AM, when Tyler remembers he has a lecture to go to in the morning.

“ _ Do you have class on Friday? _ ” he asks, and Jamie shakes his head. “ _ Maybe we could get lunch and talk more then. _ ”

Tyler weaves through partygoers on his way to the door with a number and a smiley face scrawled on the back of his hand.

 

-

 

“Jordie, do you remember any part of last night?”

They’re talking shit in the park after class, and Jordie has leopard print sunglasses on, because he’s a hungover Ariana Grande wannabe. “Yeah, I remember feeling like an ass and coming back only to find that my fucking toast had been knocked into the sink by some couple who were necking on my marble countertops. Why do you ask?”

“Well, I stayed with your brother to talk to him,” Tyler says. Jordie, at first seeming confused, soon lets the glasses slide down the bridge of his nose, so he can side-eye Tyler properly with raised eyebrows and everything.

“How did that go?”

“Good. Actually, pretty great. We’re going out for lunch this Friday,” He doesn’t mean to say it, but he does anyway, because he’s proud of himself. Jordie is side-eyeing him so hard now, his glasses fall onto his bottom lip. Tyler doesn’t know if he’s supposed to be intimidated, but he isn’t, really. He just thinks Jordie should know, because they’re friends. He doesn’t need Jordie’s permission or his approval. He’s been kind of over the whole bro-code thing recently. Anyway, it isn’t even officially a date. No harm done.

“I hope you didn’t use terrible pick-up lines on him,” is all Jordie says in response. He does slump over in his seat a little, probably still suffering the effects of last night’s escapades. “I will warn you though,” he continues. “Jamie likes being alone, dude, and I mean that’s usually his first and foremost priority. I mean, he can talk up a storm if you ask him about something, but he prefers his own company. So don’t be a dick if like, he doesn’t follow along with your flirting. Don’t swerve on him, or whatever. You’ve talked to him once. You know what I mean?”

Tyler is simultaneously surprised, relieved, and bristled. Jordie is fine with it most likely because he thinks it won’t go anywhere. He wasn’t expecting that kind of warning, but he sort of appreciates it, despite the implications that he won’t get anywhere with Jamie. “Yeah, that’s totally fair. No dickishness. Minimal flirting, got it.”

Jordie nods, apparently satisfied, before hissing at the sun and fumbling for his glasses.

 

-

 

Tyler picks a cafe five minutes from his dorm and walks there. The Benn brothers’ apartment is within walking distance as well, and he made sure of that beforehand because Jordie mentioned once that his brother doesn’t feel comfortable driving. He looks inside to see if Jamie is already there and although Tyler doesn’t see him, he’s glad to see that there are only a few customers inside. He opens the door and waits by it, startling the two other people who walk in.

Jamie walks up right on time, and Tyler goes back out with a grin to meet him halfway. “ _ What a nice surprise, _ ” he teases. Jamie gently punches his arm with a smile of his own, and he can’t help it. Tyler puts a hand on the small of Jamie’s back as they walk in. It barely counts as a touch, really, it’s so light. Jamie actually fucking leans into it. 

He will keep flirting to a minimum, but he isn’t going to be neglectful. Who knows, this might be a date.

Still, he doesn’t want to risk anything. “ _ This OK? _ ” he asks once they’re in line. Jamie’s eyes are sort of on him, but he’s also sort of squinting at the menu, so his reply is in the form of a distracted nod. When they get up to the counter, Jamie tells Tyler what he wants, and he repeats both of their orders back to the only vaguely interested barista.

They sit down at a table next to the window and immediately start chatting. Jordie was absolutely right with his claim that Jamie is definitely capable of rapid-fire signing. Tyler gets the gist of what he’s saying, but he’s also sure that he isn’t catching all of the details. To compensate, he asks questions and shares when he can.

The first conversation is simple, about the different regional words for pop (fucking Quebecois and their ‘soft drink’ bullshit) and that only lasts for a minute because their food arrives pretty quickly. Jamie then asks if he wants pets.

“ _ I have two dogs at home, _ ” Tyler tells him, and he makes a soft gasping noise. Tyler hides his burning cheeks by choosing that moment to sip at his latte. “ _ Marshall and Cash, _ ” He’s never been more glad that fingerspelling only requires one hand.

“ _ You have pictures of them? _ ”

And like, he doesn’t have a boner, Tyler’s thinking innocent thoughts only, but Jamie swiping through his album and gasping with a small smile at every single photo is doing  _ things _ to him. Maybe it’s his brain telling him that underneath all the beer pong and reputation to uphold, he secretly craves the comfort of domesticity. 

What the fuck ever. His brain can go suck an egg.

While he’s over-analyzing that, Jamie takes the opportunity to casually steal a potato wedge off of his plate. Tyler gives him a faux offended look, which becomes smug when he returns the favor.

That somehow segues into Jamie ranting about how expensive and annoying hearing aids are. He apparently put one in once. “ _ Worst five minutes of my life, _ ” he laments and shakes his head. “ _ I don’t remember what it sounded like, but it was horrible, _ ” Tyler doesn’t really understand, but he feels like he might, sort of.

Then they spend way too much time trying to spell ‘tinnitus’ correctly, but eventually accept defeat and look it up. The whole thing is fairly disorganized, and none of their conversations are super deep or groundbreaking. Tyler appreciates that. He doesn’t really want to talk about school or personal pursuits or his goals in life. He’s good with changing topics every few minutes.

Plus, Jamie doesn’t look like the type of person who giggles, but he does, every single time Tyler curses or pulls a face. A few people look their way, but it’s usually Tyler who draws the attention because, well, his signs are a bit wider than Jamie’s. Several times he has to move Tyler’s cup from the edge of the table, smiling at him encouragingly even as Tyler apologizes.

It’s going pretty great.

Eventually, a middle-aged woman comes to their table when they’re waiting for the check, and Tyler looks up in acknowledgement, still chewing.

“I don’t want to bother you two, but I did want to say that you’ve easily brightened everyone’s day in here,” She smiles, and Tyler furrows his brows in confusion. What does that even mean? “It’s rare these days to see people as focused on listening to each other as you are. You seem really passionate, and I think some people need to see that.”

Tyler doesn’t know what to say, and he thinks he has mozzarella on his chin, so he just translates for Jamie and hopes that he’ll come up with something. “Um. That’s really kind of you,” he settles on saying, then looks to a blushing Jamie who is already looking back at him and this is like, a moment or something. Jamie smiles as best as he can while dying a slow, modest death, and tells her ‘thank you.’

She shakes her head, then repeats the gesture. “No, thank  _ you _ . I hope you both have a great day,” Only then does Tyler notice that a fuckton of (which really means around five) people are smiling dreamily at them like they’re a relationship goals photo on Instagram.

“Uh, you too?” And then she walks back to her table like she didn’t just totally change the context of this conversation. Maybe Tyler isn’t as subtle as he once thought.

Jamie looks- not shaken, really- but maybe stirred. And slightly amused. “ _ I think this might be a date. _ ”

Tyler sucks in a breath. “ _ Me too. _ ”

“ _ Same time next week? _ ” He raises his eyebrows conspiratorially. Tyler can only nod.

 

-

 

They do meet up the next week. The one after that, Jamie invites him to the apartment when Jordie is at a lecture. He makes lunch and everything. The whole time, Tyler is seriously regretting not even questioning why Jamie never talked to him. It would do him a lot of good to be more suspicious. He’d just never thought about it that hard before. Now he thinks that talking to Jamie is the best decision he’s made this entire fucking semester. 

Three weeks after their first “date”, Jamie has his face tucked into Tyler’s shoulder whenever they’re watching a movie. (He eventually admits that he doesn’t have the attention span to watch things on TV, and that captions give him headaches more often than not. Tyler tells him that’s hilarious, because Jamie is the most patient, attentive person he currently knows. Jamie hushes him. They find some other appliance in the apartment to fuck with.)

One night, the power goes down for a few buildings, and Jordie quickly decides that fucking off to his bedroom is the best course of action. He doesn’t seem like he’s purposely getting out of the way, just more like he’s tired of this storm bullshit messing with his wi-fi. Tyler and Jamie sit on the couch in sweatpants, munching on cheese balls and poking each other because it’s really hard to talk without any light. Flashlights are fine, sure, but pointing them at each other isn’t really going to work. Tyler tries signing against his hand when he has to go to the bathroom, and Jamie nods, so at least he has that. Of course he nearly falls on his ass trying to feel around for the sink, but hey.

When he comes out, he can see Jamie’s outline in the hallway. Tyler almost walks to him, concerned, but then he’s being crowded against the door, and Jamie is cupping his jaw and kissing him. It’s actually sweet, just not hesitant, like, at all. That kind of seems to be what he came down the hall for. Man on a mission and all. Tyler isn’t going to hinder his efforts. He gives as good as he gets, and only pulls back to breathe. Jamie is breathing harder than he is, the whites of his eyes more prominent in the dark.

“ _ You OK? _ ” Tyler signs against his chest, afterwards touching his jawline. Jamie nods into his hand.

Tyler can barely make any of what he says next out, besides a sharp “ _ Sorry, _ ” And well, Jamie might be sorry, but he doesn’t seem like it, and he doesn’t need to be.

“ _ I liked it, _ ” he replies emphatically, to Jamie’s obvious relief. “ _ Talk later, _ ” Tyler takes his hands, and Jamie lets him move them to show what he wants to ask, preferably when the fucking lights come back on.  _ More? _

Another nod. Now Jamie is the one forced back. He makes a soft trilling noise when the back of his knees hit the couch, and Tyler climbs on top of him, slow enough that Jamie can easily push him away if he so chooses. He doesn’t. They make out for, well, until the electricity is back on. Then Jamie is nuzzling him and immediately saying he’s wanted to do that since the first time they talked.

“ _ Same, _ ” Tyler replies, breath short. He stays the night.

 

-

 

Jamie kisses him again in the morning, and it’s just as confident as the last time. Maybe a little more gentle. Tyler lets him do whatever the hell he wants and sucks on his lip appeasingly.

Jordie coughs abruptly from the hallway, and Tyler startles. Jamie strokes his chest with furrowed eyebrows, not understanding the hold up until he follows Tyler’s gaze. His face kind of goes blank when he sees Jordie judging them from afar, then he does this narrow-eyed shooing gesture. Jordie’s offended face is so great that Tyler can barely contain his laughter.

He shakes his head. “ _ I want food. This is my kitchen. _ ”

Jamie’s expression doesn’t waver. “ _ You can get whatever you want. We’ll be here. _ ”

“ _ I’m not going if you’re making out in there, _ ” Tyler is decidedly not getting involved in this.

“ _ Your problem, not ours. _ ”

Jordie flips both of them off and stomps back to his room dramatically. It’s amazing how little he argues with Jamie about this. What a good sport. He wonders if Jamie talks about him, or if Jordie was aware of the nature of their relationship before he walked in.

Jamie tugs him back in for another, sweeter kiss, and he loses that train of thought in less than a second.

 

-

 

After practice one day, Jordie corners him in the locker room, and okay, Tyler has been expecting the shovel talk for like, a month, so he isn’t too afraid. Anyway, it’s Jordie. He can be a dick, but he’s pretty chill. 

When he approaches Tyler though, his expression is stricken. “Hey,” he starts, sort of quiet. Tyler frowns and makes an acknowledging sound. This doesn’t sound like a shovel talk. “Can I talk to you?”

God no. He doesn’t know what this is, but he doesn’t like it. “Yeah, man, what’s up?”

They sit on the bench. Jordie wrings his hands nervously. “Look, I just want to make it clear before I start babbling- you and Jamie- that’s fine with me. I had doubts, but like, you guys are good together,” It’s true. All of Jamie’s friends love Tyler, and vice versa. The assurance does settle Tyler’s stomach a little, so he nods. “And this isn’t really an issue you need to worry yourself with, but like, Jamie and I haven’t been great in a while. I mean, you saw how I was at that party when you first talked to him. I don’t- he doesn’t feel like he can tell me anything, you know? He gets that from you, and that’s cool, but I kind of wish I was that person for him.”

“Jordie,” Tyler says, and he doesn’t really know what else to say, because he didn’t know there was any real tension between them. “You’re his brother, I’m not replacing you any time soon.”

“I know, I know, I just wanted to let you know that, like, if he tells you something, and he says not to tell me or that no one else knows, respect that. Don’t tell me. He’ll do it himself if he really wants me to know. He trusts you,” Jordie says carefully, and he shrugs like he’s trying to shake something off his shoulders, then stands up. “That’s all I’m saying.” 

“Jamie loves you,” he blurts before Jordie has the chance to leave. “I won’t tell you anything though, if he says not to.”

His face softens just a bit. “Thanks,” Jordie tells him, closes his locker. He pauses and seems to debate something before speaking again. “Jamie loves you too.”

 

-

 

As the end of the school year rolls around, they see each other less. It’s not great, but it isn’t horrible either, and Jamie’s always there to text him if either of them get restless. He’ll occasionally look up from studying to see his phone buzzing with emojis and rants about schoolwork. He always responds in kind. 

Jamie comes over once they’re done with finals, while Tyler is packing his shit to leave for the summer. He’s close enough to family, distance-wise, that he doesn’t feel all that bad about not coming home. Instead, he’ll be spending his summer with the Benn brothers. Jamie jokes that he’s only staying with them for their hot water.

Now, he drapes himself over Tyler’s lap and folds clothes idly. Tyler has his phone hooked up to speakers on his desk because packing is boring and it needs Sia. Jamie stands up to see what else needs to be done, but honestly, everything’s pretty much covered. He sits at the desk and puts his head down on it with a small noise. 

“ _ Is it loud enough? _ ” Tyler knows that there are more ways to enjoy music than just hearing it, but he doesn’t know the extent of that statement, or the details, really.

Jamie nods and smiles at him, picking his head up momentarily. “ _ Vibrations, _ ” he explains, like he knows what Tyler is thinking. “ _ I can hear something too, but I don’t know how to describe it. It’s low, I think. Not a voice. _ ”

The look on Jamie’s face is almost blissful, like he doesn’t get to do this often, and Tyler aims to remedy that. “ _ You like this one? _ ” He nods again. “ _ Play whatever you want, _ ” And like, okay, Tyler’s being weird and fake deep, but it’s just that Jamie always makes him remember that everyone experiences things differently. He tells Tyler so much even knowing that he can’t relate, and it’s just overwhelming how Jamie trusts him with that- how he-

Jamie thanks him, and he turns away like he’s been burned at the revelation, packing the last of his clothes at approximately ten times his previous speed.

“Jesus fuck,” he mutters, and a Katy Perry song starts playing almost as if on cue.

He’s so fucking fucked.

 

-

 

“In love? That’s pretty dramatic, Segs. Like, dating him and being in love with him are two very separate things.”

“Do you think I don’t know that?” Sometimes, Tyler mourns, Brownie is the least helpful person to come to with his problems. Especially with problems that aren’t really problems but kind of freak him out anyway. “I’m being totally serious though.”

“Really? Because I am respectfully skeptical of and questioning your seriousness about this statement,” Brownie says with a raised brow that would usually make Tyler skeptical of himself. Now he just shakes his head.

“I haven’t gotten laid in six months,” Tyler deadpans. “And I’m not even mad.”

“Fucking liar,” he shakes his head too, then realizes that Tyler is still staring at him blankly. They look at each other for a moment. “You’re not lying,” Brownie says slowly, horrified.

“Deadass, like, I’ve thought about sex maybe once since we kissed,” It’s true, and that time was only because he got tested, and he was  _ forced  _ by  _ doctors  _ to consider every sexual encounter he’s had in the last 5 years.

“Never mind, it can’t be anything but true love then, in my expert opinion,” Brownie looks incredulous and frankly a little impressed. “You grew up so fast,” he fake sobs, then grins at Tyler, who is unmoved.

“Thanks for your expert advice, I guess.”

“Any time, bro.”

Now he just has to make sure that the feeling’s mutual.

 

-

 

Tyler, for someone who hasn’t gotten laid in six months, spends a lot of time in Jamie’s bed. He sleeps there, they make out there, and that’s basically all that happens. Literally. They spend a good couple of days in bed, only getting up to fetch takeout they order from, big surprise, the bed. Tyler never wants to do anything else ever again. Life outside of Jamie’s bed is overrated.

But he guesses going out with Jamie is pretty good too. Jordie herds them into the car one day, only saying that he feels like going to the carnival. Tyler doesn’t really have feelings about carnivals one way or the other, but Jamie nudges him constantly on the way there, apparently excited. It’s a little weird, since most of what Jordie said about his brother’s introversion is true. He does like his alone time, and he’s willing to chill in the bathroom to get it if Tyler and Jordie are both at the apartment. He doesn’t enjoy crowds at all, but carnivals are apparently exempt from that rule.

The entire time, Jamie is telling him all about how cotton candy is made and how his legs don’t fit into the teacups anymore. Tyler listens closely, not really caring about the ride they’re on at the moment. He’s sort of fine with not being able to get a word in edgewise. He tells enough stories (that are nowhere as near being as innocent as Jamie’s) that this seems miniscule in comparison.

At one point, Jordie steals his brother away to try some of the arcade games, but Jamie doesn’t seem to be too bothered by it. Tyler is distantly glad he didn’t meddle when Jordie told him they were having issues, because whatever it was, it seems to have resolved itself without his help.

They should be tired when they get back to the apartment, but Tyler and Jamie have been in bed for half the week, so the primary feeling is restlessness. Jamie kicks his jeans off once inside and plops on the couch, while Tyler emulates only the latter. Jordie tells them there are sandwich supplies in the fridge if they want food, and promptly leaves again to do who knows what.

Tyler kisses Jamie, open-mouthed, as soon as he’s out the door. He responds for a moment before gently pushing Tyler’s shoulders away. See, Jamie has a penchant for saying things first, so when he sits back and bites his lip, when he presses ‘I love you’ against Tyler’s chest, it’s not really surprising. It doesn’t take more than a second for him to respond appropriately. Jamie’s smile is so sweet, he has to kiss him again.

Quickly, they’re clawing at each other’s shirts, and Tyler doesn’t really know where he wants this to go. The only thing he doesn’t want is to de-escalate. Like Jamie could tell him he’s taken a purity pledge, and he’d be worryingly okay with it. He doubts that this is the case, but still. Tyler likes kissing Jamie, and boners are irrelevant.

Jamie doesn’t leave him wondering for long, tugging a little more insistently at the hem his shirt until Tyler gets his meaning. It’s not like Jamie hasn’t seen him shirtless before, he kind of walks around like that frequently, but it’s never been in this context, and he’s weak for Jamie in boxers (he’s weak all the time but whatever), so he obeys.

Now, he’s a little less insistent when it comes to hinting at what he wants, just sort of ghosting his fingers across Jamie’s waist, but it’s unsubtle enough that the message is conveyed. Tyler is surprised at the lack of hesitance to comply. Unlike vice versa, he’s never seen Jamie shirtless. He never really… thought about it that much? Tyler was sort of lying to Brownie about only having sexy thoughts once, but fantasizing about Jamie was less about gratification and more about finding reasons to think of him. So Tyler’s like, being confronted by the fact that he’s never really considered Jamie in a sexual light. And that’s. Something.

He grins as soon as the skin is bared, not willing to let Jamie think for even one moment that he isn’t wildly impressed. If Tyler loved how soft his thighs are before, he doesn’t have a fucking inkling of what to do when confronted with the curve of his waist. He can’t even sign an appropriate reaction, much less open his mouth. “ _ You look good, _ ” he offers lamely.

Still Jamie smiles, shy, like that’s not the biggest understatement of the year. Tyler noses at his cheek and presses their lips together again, getting as close as he can without smothering him. Why does he have to smell sweet and look like an angel?

“Why am I not over this?” Tyler asks aloud against his skin, rhetorical for like, so many reasons. He knows exactly why he’s not over it. Jamie hums curiously anyway, feeling Tyler’s breath fan out rhythmically over his cheek but he just shakes his head. “ _ You’re my favorite person, _ ” he says instead.

Jamie punches him in the arm. “ _ You’re gross, _ ” he replies, face twisting in disgust then softening again to laughter. Tyler laughs too, surprised at the reaction. “ _ Do you want to go any further? _ ” Jamie asks, and his expression quickly turns serious. “ _ I do, but I’ve never done more than this before. _ ”

Tyler’s not surprised, but he’s also like, not  _ not  _ surprised, in some weird way. It’s hard to gauge his reaction when he didn’t come into the relationship with many expectations. The thought of that is nice. Less expectations means slightly more confusion, but much less tension. He thinks he’s happy about it. Not that Jamie’s never had sex before, but that he’s most likely going to be involved with changing that. 

He nods fervently. “ _ I want to. Can I ask- sorry- why you haven’t done more? _ ” Tyler stutters through it, trying to rediscover his supposed eye-hand coordination. He should really understand by now that if Jamie isn’t offended by Brownie and Marchy still saying ‘hey can you tell Jamie-’ when he’s right there in front of them, he honestly probably isn’t ruffled by anything. He’s sensitive, sure, but he’s also pretty straightforward himself and asks a lot of questions. 

(Anyway the sensitive part is mostly just how he claws at both Tyler and his brother in agony when an ASPCA commercial shows up on the TV while they’re all watching hockey, which is unsurprisingly the only thing Jamie likes watching. Tyler is his own personal commentator, so captions aren’t necessary.)

Jamie makes this kind of thoughtful trilling noise as he answers the question. “ _ Of course. I never wanted to, _ ” He then pauses and smiles slowly at whatever thought he’s having. “ _ Before you. _ ”

Christ. He cannot say things like that, with that expression.

Tyler tells him as much, and Jamie just shrugs before pulling him up to stand and into the bedroom. As much he would like to say he’ll never sleep peacefully in the room again, he still sees it as the place they spent three days in pretending it was a bat cave. Jamie sits on the bed with his back against the pillows and looks to him expectantly, eyes big.

Tyler closes the door behind himself, then crawls onto the bed to kiss him again. Jamie pushes forward to sit in his lap, and they make out for a good long while. Tyler palms absently at the front of Jamie’s boxers as he moans lowly in approval.

“ _ Hey, _ ” Tyler says to get his attention when they pull apart. “ _ Show me what you like. _ ”

Jamie goes through a whirlwind of expressions- taken aback, confused, sheepish- then nods. He doesn’t bother getting off of Tyler’s lap to push his own boxers down, and gets a shy hand around himself. His head’s down, either concentrating or avoiding Tyler’s gaze.

Tyler taps him either way. “ _ Your dick is great, _ ” he says, mouthing it too. Jamie’s flush spreads to his chest, and he thumbs right underneath the head of his aforementioned dick. He lets out a huffing breath and rests his forehead on Tyler’s shoulder, but doesn’t say anything in response.

Jamie’s eventually pushed back onto the bed so that Tyler can suck marks into his inner thighs while he fucks his fist. Tyler moves up, kisses the base of his cock. He swats Jamie’s hand away to lave his tongue over him. He keeps his own hand on Jamie’s thigh, stroking gently there to keep himself centered. Once, Tyler presses his thumb down on the spot behind Jamie’s balls, and he wails. It’s pretty much the best sound Tyler’s ever heard. 

Jamie shakes when he does it again.

“Fuck,” he says aloud, then it’s time for actually getting to work, because Jamie isn’t going to come from that. But he does try to curl in on himself when Tyler starts to suck his cock in earnest. He’s thick and silky and tastes clean, and it’s the most pleasant blowjob Tyler’s ever given. Tyler wants to run his fingertip down the underside of Jamie’s dick just to see him jerk and whine, but instead finds himself swallowing him down with single-minded determination.

They meet eyes as Jamie squirms. It isn’t too long before he comes in Tyler’s mouth, accompanied by a punched-out noise, like the orgasm shocked him. Then Jamie drags him up the bed (which is disconcertingly easy with his stature) and kisses him stupid.

Honestly, Tyler thinks as he squeezes the base of his own dick to keep from coming in his shorts like a fucking freshman, he could get used to this.

 

-

 

The thing is, Jamie is introverted, not shy. Like, he can be modest (sometimes) or bashful (rarely), but he has no issue telling it like it is.

He also has no issue waiting on the couch for Tyler when he gets home from the grocery store, daintily taking the bags from him, then dropping to his knees, hitching both of Tyler’s legs over his shoulders, and just. Fucking going to town. Against the door. It’s an out-of-body experience, really.

This trait is both a blessing and a curse.

Jordie, a few weeks after their first tryst, makes breakfast and puts his hands in an Important Thinking Triangle while looking between them. Jordie hates thinking. This has to be serious. “Tyler, I don’t know how to tell you this. But if you could stop loudly and constantly fucking my brother, my life would be like, one hundred times better.”

Tyler manages to keep a straight face, even grim-looking, as he tells Jamie the dilemma.

“ _ I fucked him too, _ ” Jamie retaliates, actually seeming offended.

Jordie groans, and once again, Tyler stays silent. “ _ I don’t deserve this bullshit, just don’t be loud. _ ” 

“ _ I feel discriminated against, _ ” Jamie tells him with squinted eyes, and Tyler laughs, like, way too hard. “ _ Not like I can help being loud, I’m trying my best, _ ” He mimes crying and bats his lashes dramatically. Jordie looks seventeen days past death.

Tyler turns and clasps his hands together on the table. “He’s trying his best,” he says, nodding solemnly.

“ _ Fuck both of you _ , honestly,” And Jordie flips them off, which seems to have become a trend in the household.

“ _ Good idea, _ ” Jamie replies cheerfully. Jordie groans and promptly leaves the room with his eggs to take it to his room.

Tyler high-fives him.

For Canada Day, they decide to go to the park for a barbecue, which eventually turns out to be the greatest idea ever, because like, everybody’s at the parade so there’s only around 10 other people on the grounds besides them.

Marchy, Brownie, and some of Jamie’s friends also come along. This includes Antoine, who is loyal to Canada despite being born in France, and who frequently confuses ASL and LSF. He was pretty skeptical of Tyler as a boyfriend at first, but they bonded over a love for violent movies, and now they’re tight. Then Patrice, easily the most Canadian of all of them and brings sugar pie with him. He likes knitting and sending Snaps that are effortlessly modelesque. Toning down the Quebecois kills him, but he does it for the good of society, and Tyler appreciates his efforts. 

Jamie, although happy to be with his friends, mostly holds conversation with Tyler, which secretly pleases him to no end. Jordie and Brownie are cooking (while talking about their various Senior Problems) while Marchy is just… sort of staring at Patrice. It’s a weird thing to watch, which is what Jamie and him end up doing, because the whole situation is fascinating. Like, Patrice wears hearing aids, so technically, Brad could talk to him if he so chose, but he doesn’t, and it’s probably for the best, considering Patrice doesn’t like talking even with hearing aids in. 

So Marchy just stares and then types stuff into Google Docs before passing it over to him. Patrice blinks at him with this slow smile, and the exchange goes on like that for pretty much the whole time. Even when they start eating and everybody talks outside of the pairs they’d already made. Antoine tells Tyler that he needs to keep an eye on Brad, who Patrice is clearly too nice for. Tyler tells him that Marchy is a  _ good boy,  _ and they’ll  _ talk. _ Antoine seems satisfied with that.

(Later, Marchy tells him he’s going to pick up an ASL course next year for extra credit. Tyler gives him a look, and he grumbles something in self-defense.)

“ _ I like him, _ ” Jamie tells him, when Tyler recounts the story when they’re lying on the couch that night.

“ _ I don’t think he’s looked at you once, _ ” he protests. He loves Marchy, but the guy just isn’t good with anything he isn’t used to.

Jamie gives him a smug look. “ _ He had no issue looking at Patrice, _ ” he signs. Tyler sighs and smiles. 

“ _ True. _ ”

Jamie wraps both arms around his waist and kisses his jawline. Tyler noses at his hair and picks up the phone to send a snap to Marchy. They make a nice picture. He replies instantly, with a photo of the firework he’s about to light and an alternating string of thumbs up and Canadian flag emojis. 

“ _ I love you, _ ” Jamie says, and he nips at Tyler’s mouth affectionately. 

“ _ I love you too _ ,” Tyler is seriously considering writing all the gross poetic things he wants to say to Jamie, but he has terrible handwriting, which would undermine the whole aesthetic of the act. He’ll find a way.

For now, this is more than good enough.

 

**Author's Note:**

> fun notes:  
> \- asl doesn't translate into english as smoothly as this. ex. "I think this might be a date" is signed as "I THINK MAYBE DATE"  
> \- i have actually interpreted hockey games before. it's really fun because the sign for "score/goal" is super Extra and looks exactly how commentators sound  
> \- patrice's hearing loss is due to meniere's disease and constantly makes jokes about how he has The French Problem as opposed to Other Clearly Inferior Problems. then he curses his low-salt diet. god bless him.
> 
> come talk to me @ antoineroussel.tumblr.com


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